I had promised to stop writing about the proposed takeover of the South Charleston Technology Park because it is a done deal, but it is hard for me to remain silent when specious comparisons are being made between the Tech Park and other technology parks across the United States.
Dave Hardy makes a comparison to Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. Eric Eyre says: “The University of Pittsburgh’s Applied Research Center, called U-PARC, appears to share the most similarities with the tech park in South Charleston.” Other suggested comparisons: the Oklahoma State University-affiliated national sensor-testing center, the Michigan State University-led “bioeconomy” research and development center, and the University of Michigan’s biomedical research campus. Please, everyone, stop drinking the Tech Park water and answer some common sense questions.
- Is the combination of West Virginia University and Marshall University anywhere near the presence in research that the Duke University/University of North Carolina/North Carolina State University triumvirate are? The University of Pittsburgh? Michigan State University or the University of Michigan? Let’s review one set of rankings: Among public universities, University of Michigan – 5, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill – 6, University of Pittsburgh – 11, Michigan State University – 22, North Carolina State University – 27. Then, of course, you have Duke University and Carnegie-Mellon University near the top of the private institutions list. Now check out WVU’s and MU’s rankings. (This assignment requires persistence, folks. Don’t quit so soon.)
- So we’re left with research mid-tier Oklahoma State University and the smallish ConocoPhillips-gifted national sensor testing center in Ponca City. But at least Stillwater and Ponca City are within commuting distance of one another. How about the South Charleston Technology Park? There’s a smallish Marshall University Graduate College that doesn’t focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education next door, Marshall University an hour west, and West Virginia University two-and-three-quarters hours northeast. Does the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission employ a single STEM researcher? No.
- Next, I challenge remaining wishers and a hopers and a prayers who suggest that South Charleston can have a strong research park to take that two-and-three-quarter hour trip to Morgantown and visit their “research park” off Route 705 (aka “Where the Broomsedge Grows”). Then go to Kinetic Park in Huntington for another tour. If WVU, which has West Virginia’s strongest research presence, cannot make a go of a research park in its own back door, neither can South Charleston with none of Morgantown’s advantages besides a few more empty buildings.
- Finally, please note that there’s another dog that isn’t barking. And that’s West Virginia University. If any organization is critical to the Tech Park’s success, it’s WVU. Where are they? Where is MU? Short of a MAJOR commitment by WVU, the longshot possibility becomes a virtual impossibility.
Having grown up in the Charleston area, I too would like to engage in a little wishin’ and a hopin’ and a prayin’, but my inferior Lincoln County education only taught me thinkin’, and it doesn’t take much thinkin’ to realize that a Research Triangle Park vision for the Tech Park is a pipe dream. It’s no accident that technology parks thrive only near major research universities. We need to have realistic expectations for the South Charleston Technology Park’s possibility.
If I was Joe Manchin, I’d paint your names on the garbage cans at the Tech Park.
Troy, given the new tenant list, I’m sure the Governor would have some help with the painting.
And I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near those contaminated garbage cans!
Dennis, I lived in the Research Triangle in NC for a decade. Though I want the best for our area, of course, I believe your points are valid and under-examined in public discourse. I haven’t felt such peer pressure to “get on board” with something like this perhaps in my entire adult life. Thank you for being willing to put some very important facts on the table, not just generalities that don’t really add up to an argument.